Assigrgxs to



June 2s 193i H. H. MCKEE ET AL, 1,807,631

BRANDING MACHINE Filed May 16, 1930 A2 Sheets-Sheet l 1mm H l I Z5 n I d Z5 l MWMIMIWIWIWW June 2, 19.31. v H, H, MCKEE E1- AL 1,807,631

BRANDING MACHINE Filed May 16, 195o 2 sheets-sheet 2 53' l I lwuu @3 i www rarement nm@ 2, i931 BERRY E. MCKEE ANB GUSTVE SG1-IU LEE, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINES, ASSIGNGRS T0 SWIFT AND COMPANY, CF CHCAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORT'ION 0F ILLINS.

BRANDNG MACHINE .application filed 'May 16,

This invention relates to a construction for applying identification marks on the edge of articles such as sides of bacon and is designed for automatic operation in that the articles E to be branded are either manually or mechanically passed through the construction to receive the identification marks and such of the marking mechanism as is driven receives mtion from the articles operated upon. The

objects or" the invention are to provide such a construction equipped with improved guiding means for the articles to be operated upon; improvements in the construction of a marking tool and means for applying ink:

'15 thereto, and to provide a marking machine not requiring a driving means other than the traveling articles operated upon. The de vice herein shown and described is a'speciic development of the method and apparatus au which are more broadly claimed in the copending applications of Harry H. McKee, Serial No. 208,668, hled .l'uly 27, 1927, for improvements in meat marking apparatus, and SerialNo. 115,838, filed Becember 21, 1929, for improvements in method of marking meats.

ln the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the marking table.

Fig. 2 shows the tablein front elevation and so partly in section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig., et is a detail in plan oi' the branding Wheel and inking means therefor. Fig. 5 is a side Viewv of the branding wheel and inking means shown in Fig. d.

The general arrangement of this branding construction is a table the top or" which is 4o divided to provide a longitudinal opening eX- tending from end to end of the table. Below this opening is a series of horizontally disposed idling rollers Jfor supporting edgewise articles which are branded as they pass through the machine.

Such articles are Jfurther supported by a vseries of vertically arranged rollers and an opposed presser roller'. As the articles to be marked pass between this presser roller and the .vertically disposed idlers, said articles .1930. Serial lilo. 453,019.

engage a branding wheel. The branding wheel is rotated because of this engagement and receives ink according to the extent to which it is rotated.

An ink feeding means is operated by the mi marking wheel. rifhis wheel when used for branding the edge or the sides of bacon is for this purposepreferably provided with identification marking means such as needles arranged in the form of letters on the periph- @a ery of the wheel.

1n the drawings a work table is shown in which the top is formed by two boards 1 and 2 separated to leave the intervening space 3. Between the boards 1 and 2, slightly below es ithe surface thereof, is a series of horizontally disposed rollers', which maybe trunnioned for :pivotal mounting in the `frame structure 5.

,The marking wheel ii at the end of the set t@ of" rollers 4: is also rotatable around a horizontal axis for which purpose it is mounted upon a xed spindle shown 'in Figure 5. The branding wheel is removable from the spindle and it is therefore provided with a handle 8. The wheel is normally retained on the spindle by the nut or collar 9 on the end of the spindle.

For the purpose of inlring the branding wheel, an ink brush 10 is supported below so the wheel in position to ink over needles 11 extending from the periphery of the wheel. The brush 10 is at the end oan ink conduit 12 leading Jfrom the inl: reservoir 13 to th base of the brush.

A. valve 14 regulates the rate at which the ink is allowed to How from the reservoir to the brush. The'handle 15 oi" this valve is connected by a rod 16 to an arm 17 which may oscillate around its pivotal'support 18. 9o

At the end of arm 17 is a roller 19, which eX- tends into the cam groove 2() cut into the Jface 'of a disk 21 secured to and therefore rotatable with the branding wheel. The extent to which the valve 14 is opened upon each 9a rotation of the inking wheel may be varied by placing the bent end of rod 16 in different ones of holes 22 in arm 17. The ink reservoir ma be lled at the 'opening 23 andv drained hy removing drain plug 24.

rlhe marking wheel 6 is depressible with the inlring unit which carries it by the action of articles operated upon. rlhe inlring unit is pivoted at 33 and is urged upwardly by spring 34.

A. row of vertically disposed idler rollers assist in guiding sides of bacon and near the marking wheel 6 and opposite the rollers 25 is a. pressure roller 26. rllhis roller may freely rotate upon the spindle 27' which is carried at the end of an arm 23 pivotally mounted on a fixed spindle 29 extending downwardly from the frame member 30. A. spring 31 urges the presser roller 26 toward the opposed vertically dis- .posed idler rollers 25. Since the arm 28 which supports the presser roller 26 is lo' cated below the table top 2 and the roller is above the table, the table top is provided with a curved slot 32 through which the. spindle 27 extends.

ln the operation oft the branding table arti; cles to be branded such as the sides of' bacon are placed edgewise either manually or mechanically on the rollers Ll and'pushed torwardly as guided by the series of vertical rollers 25 and the resiliently mounted roller 26 between which and the rollers 25 the article is guided when receiving the incisions or other marks from roller 6. rlhis roller is driven by rictional engagement with the article operated upon, and the marking devices thereon, such as needles 11, are inked as they pass over brush 10. lnk is fed to the brush from reservoir 13 as required, by the rocking of valve 14, the handle of which is connected lthrough the links 16 and arm 17 with cam 21 rotatable with the marking wheel.

We claim:

1. lin a branding construction a series of horizontally disposed idler rollers for supporting articles which are pushed over the same, a series of vertically disposed guide rollers for guiding articles by engaging the sides thereof, a vertical resiliently mounted roller in position to engage the opposite sides of articles to be operated upon, a branding wheel mounted on a horizontal axis in position to engage the edge of lan article passing between said rollers as it leaves the series of 'horizontally disposed supporting rollers.

2. In a branding construction a series of horizontally disposed idler rollers for supporting articles kwhich are pushed over the same, a seriesof vertically disposed guide rollers for guiding articles b engaging the sides thereof, a vertical resiliently mounted roller in position to engage the opposite sides of articles to be operated upon, a branding wheel mounted on a horizontal axis in position to engage the edge of an article passing between said rollers as it leaves the series of horizontally disposed supporting rollers, said rollers and said branding wheel being renacer arranged to be driven by the article operated upon, means for inking said brandin wheel and means driven by said branding w eel for controlling the action of said inliing means.

3. ln a branding construction a series of horizontally disposed idler rollers for supporting articles which are pushed over the same, a series of vertically disposed guide rollers for guiding articles by engaging the sides thereof, a vertical resiliently mounted roller in position to engage the opposite sides of articles to be operated upon, a branding wheel mounted on a horizontal axis in position to engage the edge of an article passing between said rollers as it leaves the series of horizontally disposed supporting rollers, means for inking the branding wheel comprising an inl( applying means in position to engage the periphery of the branding wheel, an ink reservoir and ink feeding means, said ink feeding means including a valve with connections for oscillating said valve, said connections being operable in unison with said branding wheel.

Signed at Chicago this 12th day of May HARRY H. MCKEE. GUSTAVE SCHULER. 

